People on the lowest incomes in hundreds of affected postcode districts will receive a £25 cold weather payment due to the freezing conditions. The Government payments have been triggered for eligible households in areas where the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days.
The Met Office had warned temperatures “falling close to minus 10C” could be recorded in rural parts of the UK on Thursday. The bank top-up of £25 will be in eligible people’s bank account within 14 days of the trigger, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.
People claiming pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, universal credit and support for mortgage interest could be eligible for the cold weather payments, DWP guidance says. It said cold weather payments have been triggered in areas across the North West, including in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in parts of the South West, such as near Exeter, and in Nottingham, among others.
